FRED THOMPSON JR.

Chief administrative officer, Thompson Hospitality Corp.; co-founder, Opportunity Scholars and the Global Good Fund, Reston

Published January 30, 2023 by Virginia Business

Thompson is partially retired as Thompson Hospitality’s CAO, but he’s stayed busy by starting two nonprofits: Opportunity Scholars, a Winchester-based organization that provides mentorship opportunities to underserved middle and high school students; and The Global Good Fund, which supports young adults from around the world in entrepreneurial endeavors that have social focuses. The Hampden-Sydney College alumnus and University of Virginia master’s of public administration degree-holder also just completed a year as chairman of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s board.

Growing up in eastern Virginia, Thompson recalls that his parents “reminded us they were proud of us. They corrected us when we messed up, but they did it in love. Their love was not tied to performance.”

Beginning in 1992, Thompson joined his younger brother, Thompson Hospitality President Warren Thompson, and sister, Senior Vice President Benita Thompson-Byas, at Thompson Hospitality. “We’ve been very blessed,” he says.

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